Ash collector for locomotives



Feb. 16, 1932.

w. KELLY, JR 1,845,284

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Feb. 16, 1932. w. KELLY, JR 1,345,284

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= sary for the dumping of ashes Patented Feb. is, 1932 WILLIAM KELLY,JR., OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTOH ASH COLLECTOR ron' LOCOMOTIVES Applicationfiled April 20,

It is the object of this invention to effect certain economies in theoperation of coal burning locomotives by reducing themumber of stopswhich have heretofore beennecesd by minimizin the work of dumping and ccaning out the as containers.

A further object is to provide an ash collector of large capacity solocated and constructed that it utilizes a maximum of the availablespace on a locomotive.

Another object is to provide novel and efficient means for conveyingashes and cinders, including clinkers, from the grates or fire box to areceiver removed longitudinally of the locomotive from the grates.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a large receiver forashes located beneath theengine cab in combination with a hopper forcollecting ashes from the grates and a conveyor for transmitting theashes from the hopper to the receiver.

A still further object is to provide novel and eflicient means foremptying the ashes from a collector of this kind. Other objects willappear and be more fully pointed out in the following specification andclaims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of my device, together with the adjacentportions of a locomotive of common type;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation'of the hopper and drive mechanism for theconveyor;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the large storage bin or ash receiver; J

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, horizontal section taken on the line 55 of Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical section through one of the bottomdoors of the receiver; p

' Fig. 7 is a central, longitudinal section through the rear end of thedevice and adjacent portions of the locomotive; I

Fig. 8 is a similar section through the front end of the device; 1

Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8;

frame members forming 1981. Serial No. 531,400.

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the hopper showing the door operatingmechanism;

. Fig. 11 is a fragmentary, transverse section taken on the line 1l-11of Fig. 1;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the ash storage bin or receiver with the topremoved;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the engine for operating the conveyor; and

Fig.14 is a side elevation of the hopper.

In the drawings, fragmentary portions of the fire box and cab of alocomotive of common type are indicated. by the numerals 15 and 16respectively. Beneath the fire box is a trailer truck 17 with trailerwheels 18 and axle 19. The fire box 15 has the usual Water j acketing atthe bottom of which are located the mud ring 20. The grates areindicateby the numerals :21.

Beneath the grates is mounted a hopper 22 having a large, flaring upperportion 23 which is suspended from the mud ring by bolts 24, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3. The hopper 22 extends longitudinally between the mainframe members or cradle 25 of the engine and, as best shown in Fig. 8,the front end of the hopper is closed by a sheet metal wall 26. Thebottom of the hopper 22 supports a longitudinally extending trough 27 inwhich is mounted a conveyor screw 28. At its front end the screw 28 isconnected to a drive shaft 29. having bearings in the wall of the hopperand in a bracket 30 secured to the exterior of the wall 26. A sprocketwheel 31 for driving the screw 28 is mounted between the bracket 30 andwall 26.

The conveyor screw passes beneath the axle 19 in a tubular casing 32,the upper periphery of which is provided with a heavy plate 33 adaptedto coact withthe screw to crush the larger cinders and clinkers. Theaxle 19 is enclosed at the top, front and rear by casing members 34. Tofacilitate removal of the trailer wheels and axle, a removable section I286 of the screw. 28 is located beneath the axle 19, being connected byapin 280 at its front end to the screw 28 and having a similar connectionwith a universahjoint 35 at its rear end. The plate 33 is secured inplace by removable bolts and, as shown in Figs. 3, 9 and 10, removablebolts 32a retain the casing 32 in place at its rear end, similar boltsbeing provided at its front end to connect arcuate flanges 32?) on themembers 27 and 32.

Near the rear end of the -tubular casing 32, the universal joint 35connects the screw 28 to an oblique section 28a adapted to transmitashes from the hopper 22 to a large bin or receiver 36 located beneaththe cab 16. As best shown in Figs. 7 and 10, the hopper 22 has a rearwall 37 and an opening 38 therein which communicates with the conduit 39connecting the hopper to the receiver 36. The

section 28a of the conveyor screw is revoluble in the conduit 39 and thepitch of said screw is preferably reduced toward, its free extremity toaid in forcibly distributing the ashes in the receiver 36.

The receiver 36 extends to substantially the full 'width of the cab, andto allow access to the draw bar pins, reentrant walls 40, 41 and 44extend in from the rear end ofthe receiver 36, as shown in Fig. 12. Theusual or suitable bearings 42 and 43 for the draw bar pins are locatedin the recess in the ash receiver formed by the walls 40, 41 and 44. Thewall 41 extends obliquely beneath the bearing 42 and from this Wall 41the horizontal wall 44 extends to the rear. A slidable door 45 in 'thewall 44 allows access to the bearings 43.

The bottom 46 of the receiver is also formed with a sliding door 47 topermit insertion of the draw bar pin in the bearings 43. The pin may beinserted in the bearings 42 through an opening in the cab floor.

To direct the ashes from the conveyor screw to the largeside portions ofthe receiver 36, oblique guide plates 48 are secured to the wall 41. Ateach side a door 49 is provided for inspection and manual aid in thedumping of the ashes when such aid is needed. The doors 49 have hingesat their lower edges and small pivoted catches 50 engage their upperedges to hold them in closed position.

t each side of the bottom of the receiver 36, is a door 51 through whichthe ashes may be dumped. These doors cover long openings 52 and areslidable on guides 53 when in open position. Each door 51is hung from-apair of arms 54, one located on the front of the receiver 36, as shownin Fig. 3, and the other located on the back wall of saidreceiver, asshown in Fig. 4. The arms 54 are pivotally secured to the receiver attheir upper ends and are pivotally connected to the door 51 at theirlower ends. 0 crating links 55 at the front andrear ends 0 each door 51are connected to the arms 54 and to cranks 56 fast suitable connectiontherewith.- The crank 59 has a slot in which a pivot pin extends to joinit to the head 60, said slot being of sufiicient length to permit thearcuate movement of the crank in connection with the rectilinearmovement of the head 60. The cylinder 62 is preferably connected to thecompressed air supply of the locomotive and has air controls of suitableor common type to operate the receiver doors. For, emergency use, acrank 63 is secured to the shaft 57 to be operated by a hand lever 64. Agrate shaker handle may be employed as the lever 64. When the aircylinder is not in use, the crank 63 and connected mechanism may belocked with the door 51 in closed position by inserting a pin 65 inperforations in a pair of bracket arms 66 (see Fig. 3). The air cylinder62 is mounted beneath the cab floor on brackets secured to the engineframe.

When the doors 51 are to be opened compressed air or other fluid underpressure is admitted to the cylinders 62 beneath the pistons 62a so thatthe heads 60 are raised toether with the free ends of the cranks 59.Each crank 59 is thus actuated to turn a shaft 57 and raise a pair ofthe cranks 56 at their ends connected to the links 55. These links drawthe doors 51 to open position on the guides 53 While moving thesuspension arms 54 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6. To close thedoors compressed air is admitted L0 the upper ends of the cylinders 62to reverse the operation.

It will be evident that the hopper 22 li1 a large capacity for ashes andconstitutes a storage compartment which must be emptied periodically. Tofacilitate the emptying operation, I provide doors 67 and 68 at eachside of the bottom of the hopper, these doors being located at thebottom of enlarged portions 69 and 70, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3. 8 and14. Each door is suspended from a pair of arms 71. fixed on a horizontalshaft 71a, and one arm of each pair is connected by a link 72 to a crank73 fixed on a horizontal shaft 74. This shaft is supported in bearingbrackets 75 and extends longitudinally of the hopper with connectionsfor-operating a door 67 and a door 68, as best shown in Fig. 14. Anothercrank 76 is fixed on the shaft 74 to be actuated by connections with thepiston in air air cylinder 7. An air cylinder 77 is secured to thebottom surface of the upper portion 23 of the hopper at each side. Eachcylinder has a piston rod 78 guided in a bracket 79 and a. slotted end80 of the piston rod is connected by a pin 81 to a link 82 joined to thecrank 76. An arm 83, integral with the crank 76, is arranged to engagethe end 80 of the piston rod to lock the doors 67 and 68 in closedposition. The cylinder 77 has connections with the compressed air supplyand controls whereby the hopper doors may be opened and movement of therod starts the end 80 is withdrawn from the path of the arm 83 while thepin 81 merely remains stationary in its slot.'

1 When the outer end of the slot engages the pin 81, the arm 83 is freeto move toward dotted line position shown in Fig. 10 and furthermovement of the piston raises the cranks 76 and 73 and actuates the link72 to open a door by outward movement of the arms 71, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 10. Manual operation of the hopper doors is madepossihle'by providing a crank 84 on theshaft 74 adapted to be engaged bya lever, such as the grate shaker handle 64. (Fig.

To drive the conveyor screw 28, a chain 85 is applied to the sprocketwheel 31 andis arranged to be driven by a sprocket wheel 86 fixed on ashaft 87 (Figs. 2, 8 and 13). The shaft 87 has a bearing in the frontend of the hopper and another bearing-in a gear housing 88. A supportingbar 89 for the gear housing 88 extends transversely between themaincradle members 25. Within the gear housing, a worm wheel 90 is fixed onthe shaft 87 and a worm 91, in mesh with the worm wheel, is fixed on atransverse shaft 92. This transverse shaft has additional bearings 93 onan engine base i 94 supported on bracket arms 95. i

A suitable steam engine is supported on the base 94 to operate the shaft92, said shaft having cranks joined to connecting rods 96. Cylindricalguides 97 are provided for cross heads to which the connecting rods arejoined.' Steam cylinders 98 contain suitable pistons and piston rods foroperating the connecting rods 96. The engine valves in the valvechambers 9.9 are operated in well known manner from eccentric rods 100in connection with eccentrics on the shaft 92. The steamengineillustrated is of the reversible type to permit operation of theconveyor screw 28 in either direction. Thus in case of clogging orjamming of the larger clinkers in the conveyor the direction of rotationof the screw may be reversed momentarily to free the obstruction.

In operation the ashes, including cinders veyor screw 28 is operated byadmitting steam to the cylinders 98. The conveyor screw feeds the ashesfrom the trough 27 through the tubular casing 32 where'the largerclinkers are crushed against the plate 33. The ashes are then advancedthrough the conduit 39 to the receiver 36 and are directed from thedelivery end of the screw to the sides of the receiver by the plates 48.The screw may be driven continuously or intermittentl It will be evidentthat a large quantity 0 ashes is stored in the hopper and storage bin orreceiver so that the number of stops for dumping ashes are greatlyreduced. When it becomes necessary to empty the hopper and receiver, airis admitted to the cylinders 62 and 77 so that the doors 67 and 68 ofthe hoppers and doors 51 of the receiver are opened through theconnections hereinbefore described. If the ashes are al-- every twentymiles and by the use of my device, burning thesame coal in the samelocomotives, uninterrupted runs of seventy-five miles are common.

Having described my invention, what I claimas new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is: v

1. In combination with a locomotive, a fire box, a receiver for ashes,removed longitudinally of the locomotive from said fire box and meansfor conveying ashes from said fire box to said receiver.

v2. In combination with a locomotive, a fire box, a receiver for ashes,a conveyor for carrying ashes from said fire box to said receiver andpower-driven means for actuating said conveyor.

grate, a hopper for collecting ashes located beneath said grate, areceiver for ashes and a power-driven conveyor for carrying ashes fromsaid hopper to said receiver.

4. In combination with a locomotive, a grate, a hopper for collectingashes located beneath said grate, a receiver for ashes removedlongitudinally of the locomotive from said hopper and means forconveying ashes from said hopper to said receiver.

5. In a locomotive, a fire box, a cab extending rearwardly of said firebox, a receiver for ashes located beneath said cab, a

hopper beneath said fire box to collect ashes therefrom and means forconveying ashes from said hopper to said receiver.

6. In a locomotive, a fire box, a cab extending rearwardly of said firebox, a large receiver for ashes located beneath said cab, a hopper .1103. In combination with a locomotive, a

livery end of said conveyor and bottom closures for said hopper andreceiver to permit emptying thesame.

8. In a locomotive, a fire box, a hopper beneath said fire box tocollect ashes therefrom, a conveyor extending longitudinally of thelocomotive and located centrally in the bottom of said hopper, areceiver for ashes at the delivery end of said conveyor, said receiverbeing removed longitudinally of the locomotive from said hopper andclosures for said hopper and receiver to permit emptying the same.

9. In a locomotive, a fire box, a hopper beneath said fire box tocollect ashes therefrom, a screw conveyor extending longitudinally ofthe locomotive in the bottom of said hopper, a receiver for ashes at thedelivery end of said conveyor and closures for said hopper and receiverto permit emptying the same.

10. In combination with a locomotive having a fire box, an ash collectorcomprising, a conveyor extending longitudinally beneath said fire boxmeans for feeding said conveyor with ashes from said fire box, areceiver for accumulating a 'quantity of ashes at the delivery end ofsaid conveyor and a closure for said receiver to permit emptying of theashes therefrom.

11. In combination with a locomotive having a fire box, an ash collectorcomprising, a conveyor extending longitudinally beneath said fire box,means for feeding said conveyor with ashes from said fire box, areceivor for accumulating a quantity of ashes atv the delivery end ofsaid conveyor, means for distributing ashes in said receiver and aclosure for said receiver to permit emptying of the ashes therefrom.

12. In combination with a locomotive having a fire box, a-n ashcollector comprising, a conveyor extending longitudinally beneath saidfire box, means for feeding said conveyor with ashes from said fire box,a receiver for. accumulating a quantity of ashes at the delivery end ofsaid conveyor, a closure for hopper to said receiver, power-driven meansoperable in said conduit to transmit ashes therein and closures for saidhopper and receiver.

14. In combination with a locomotive having a fire box, an ash collectorcomprising, a opper to collect the ashes from said fire box, a receiverfor ashes removed longitudinally of the locomotive from said hopper, aconduit for conveying the ashes from said hopper to said receiver, apower-driven screw operable in said conduit to transmit ashes thereinand a closure for said hopper.

15. In combination with a locomotive having a fire box, an ash collectorcomprising, a hopper to collect the ashes from said fire box, a receiverfor ashes removed longitudinally of the locomotive from said hopper, aconduit for conveying the ashes from said hopper to said receiver,power-driven means operable in said conduit to transmit ashes therein,bottom closures for said hopper and receiver and power-driven means foractuating said closures. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed myname to this specification.

' WILLIAM KELLY, JR.

said receiver to permit emptying of the ashes therefrom and power-drivenmeans for actuatlng said closure and conveyor respectively.

13. In combination with a locomotive having a fire box, an ash collectorcomprising, a hopper to collect the ashes from said fire box, a receiverfor ashes removed longitudinall of the locomotive from said hopper, acon uit for conveying the ashes from said lUU Ill

